So let me tell you an interesting thing about Garvey. He is a social butterfly. I’ve lived in my neighborhood for almost 7 years and while I exchange pleasantries with the locals, I’ve not developed any friendships or hardcore connections. Such is the average tendancy of most New Yorkers.

My son must have missed that memo because at 3.75 years of age, he is well known in out ‘hood.

Case in point:

I picked him up from his sitter today and he wanted to go to the park. We went in, I sat down and he walked around, looking intently. He came back to me and said, “Mommy, we can go. None of my friends are here.” When did that happen? He used to love going to the park but now, he only wants to go if his “friends” are there. Can he never have a crew?

We’re walking and an older boy, maybe 9 or 10, comes up to him and is like, “What up Lil G?!” and gives him a pound (dapz, fist bump). G replies, “Yo whats up?” and we keep walking. He says, “That’s my friend, Mommy!” Errr, ok.

Then he sees another little boy, maybe 5 or 6. He says, with a frown, “That’s Christian, Mommy”. I asked, “How do you know him?” He said, “Mommy, Christian was trying to fight me in the park. But I’m OK… I kicked him!” and he smiled really big. Errrr, what??

These past few months have been a period of adjustment for Garvey. He has been dealing with divorcing parents and has been going back and forth between houses. This, coupled with being a precocious 3 year old, has led to struggles with behavior and such.

However, he is growing strong. He is 38 lbs, 42 inches. Size 11 shoe, size 5T clothes. He still walks on his tip-toes, but as a result has legs adults would kill for. He still has his funny one-liners and kid logic, and his obsession with Michael Jackson has expanded to all of the Jackson family (except Jermaine and Rebbie).

Garvey is all about the music

I have taught G how to use the iPod by telling him to use his “beginning sounds” to find the songs. So, for example, when he wants to hear “Don’t Stop ‘Till You Get Enough” he knows to scroll to the D section. He can sight read some words, so he knows that “Don’t” has a D and an O.

Garvey Rides a Big Boy Bike

I’m trying to teach him to ride his bike. The problem is the hairtrigger brakes. We’re working on it though.

Garvey Finishes Another Semester of Gymnastics

G was originally in a sports training class. But I think that it was too new an experience to mix in with his adjustment to our split and his new child care provider. He acted out a lot and the class was WAY big. So mid-semester, I moved him back to gymnastics and he was SO much happier and did way better.

Now, the summer is here. I’m spending more time with him and he is still a huge mama’s boy. In the fall, he will start pre-K so I am getting him ready so he can be competitive. We’re working on his writing (he can write his name), spelling, reading, addition and subtraction. He is progressing well and I have no doubt he will excel in pre-K.

I said, very specifically, “Garvey, do NOT throw that ball around in the living room”

Garvey says, “Ok Mommy” but of course, continues to throw the ball. Well, the ball ends up in a corner where he cannot reach it.

He tries everything. He climbs up along the wall unit to get a long backscratcher, in hopes he can use it to scoop it out of the corner. He tries to lower himself into the corner, but its too small. He begs for my help, to no avail.

Then he says, “I’ll sing a song and make it come out!!”

So he very skillfully arranges his pedastal, grabs his make-believe guitar aka the back scratcher (he broke the other one), and decides to sing a Michael Jackson song. This time he chose “Remember the Time”

Gymnastics class has definitely helped improve his strength, coordination, and confidence. He is more willing to try new things. For a long time, G seemed scared of EVERY thing. He didn’t want to go anywhere, be around people, etc. Now, he is eager and excited to do everything.

Music has become easily one of the centers of Garvey’s world. I’m not surprised because he comes from musically inclined parents. What’s interesting is the speed at which he is developing this love and appreciation for music and his abilities.

Garvey is so in tune with instruments both how they sound and how they are played. He can pick up anything from his keyboard to his guitar, to make shift cymbals to a harmonica, and he knows just how to play it. Some of it he learned from Noggin, some from music videos, others seem to be a natural inclination.

When he turns four, my first order of business is to enroll him in musical lessons of some sort. Did I mention he sings too? I don’t want to be one of those mothers who over-schedules her child. But there are just some times, you have to really look at your child and figure out what he/she is really good at and go with it.

Music seems to be his calling. And who knows… maybe he will pick up where MJ left off ;)

I have never put much stock in those miracle gimmicks geared at making your kids smarter. I believe that children learn through every day experiences and picking up the things they see and hear. I read to my son just about every day. If I don’t read to him, his father does or his babysitter does. He picks things up very quickly. And I don’t have to shell out tons of dollars.